Trainee Leather Artisan - Colour Restoration in Newcastle upon Tyne

At The Handbag Clinic, our purpose is to lovingly and expertly extend the life of luxury handbags. Through exceptional craftsmanship and care, we champion sustainability while acting as trusted custodians of the luxury handbag market. We buy, sell, and restore designer handbags, restoring over 700 bags every month—including some of the most valuable handbags in the world—and have facilitated the buying and selling of over £12 million worth of luxury handbags through our stores and eCommerce platform since launching the service in 2016. We work closely with leading fashion houses and prestigious auction houses and are proud to be recommended by publications such as Vogue, Tatler, Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, and Grazia.

As we continue to grow, we are looking for a strong candidate to join our Head Office team and be part of our commitment to craftsmanship, sustainability, and excellence.

The Role

We are seeking a creative individual to join our Artisan team, specialising in the repair and restoration of luxury designer handbags. The role involves working on a wide range of designer pieces, from brands such as Coach through to Hermès, supporting both direct-to-consumer repairs and aftercare services for luxury houses including Burberry, Bulgari, and Céline. A strong understanding of colour theory and an art‑based background are essential, as precision, creativity, and attention to detail are key to delivering exceptional restoration work. The role offers clear progression opportunities, including advancement to Artisan, Senior Artisan, and Technical Lead levels, as well as the chance to develop specialist skills such as working with exotic leathers or becoming an expert in Louis Vuitton replacement work.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Deliver high‑quality cleaning, colour restoration, and repair work on luxury designer handbags for direct‑to‑consumer, business‑to‑business, and Marketplace items, consistently meeting brand and company standards.
• Work across a wide range of luxury brands, completing repairs within agreed timeframes and to the appropriate level of complexity for your role.
• Carry out artisanal restoration work with precision and attention to detail, meeting or exceeding individual performance targets.
• Accurately log, track, and process all items through internal systems, ensuring data, timings, and workflows are correctly maintained.
• Manage items responsibly throughout the repair process, ensuring safe, organised storage during and after cleaning or restoration.
• Support continuous improvement by contributing to research into new products, techniques, and methods to enhance service quality.
• Collaborate closely with Technical Leads, Senior and Principal Artisans to develop skills, refine techniques, and progress within the role.
• Provide feedback to the Technical and Leadership teams, including repair timings and observations to support planning accuracy and operational efficiency.
• Maintain tools, equipment, and machinery responsibly, reporting maintenance needs where required.
• Uphold a clean, safe, and well‑organised Clinic environment, adhering to all Health & Safety policies and procedures.
• Support Senior Artisans, Principal Artisans, and the Clinic or Warehouse Management team with ad‑hoc tasks as required.

Job Type: Full‑time

Additional pay: Yearly bonus, On‑site parking

Schedule: 8 hour shift, Day shift, No weekends, sometimes weekend overtime may be required.

Seniority level: Internship

Employment type: Full‑time

Job function: Management and Manufacturing

Industries: Consumer Services

Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom